eastcoastbernie
Well-Known Member
I'd like to say a big 'thank you' to Jim and Lynn for their superb hospitality at Burnham Week. Not only did they put up with me on their boat for a whole week but they also allowed the three of us who were left at the end of the week to borrow Full Circle for the remaining races.
During the week we had an ever-changing assortment of crew. Full Circle and Mrs Full Circle were in attendance from Saturday to Thursday. They had recruited local guy JW to crew for the whole week and he became our top winchman and, as an added bonus, kept us entertained with a never-ending stock of salty yarns.
Mrs Morgana joined us for the first race, her initiation into racing as it turned out. The remaining Morgana family were shared out between Sirenia and Vreny. This turned out to be the first of many light airs races. Principal tactic of the week was to creep around in the shallows to keep out of the tide. Full Circle's 'secret weapon' of a lifting keel reducing the draft to little over a metre, came in very handy and must have confused the enemy. I soon learned Jim doesn't tack until he can count individual blades of grass on the bank ahead.
After the first day's racing we enjoyed a sociable gathering and excellent barbeque on the sea wall. The following day we were joined on board by Mr Morgana and a mini Morgana. Later in the week Dougie 3 Bottles and Sue lent a hand to the winches and Mrs Full Circle jumped ship to crew on Sirenia. CliveG and Centaur Pipedream also made valuable guest appearances on Full Circle during the week.
Dougie 3 Bottles took us up to Fambridge in Still Dunno. I'm told we reached thirty knots on the way there, but we took up a much gentler pace on the way back as it was dark, albeit moonlit, by then.
Weatherwise, we could probably have done with a little more wind, but the sun shined all week and we didn't have a drop of rain. I'd heard about kedging out during a race, but never actually experienced it before. After what seemed like hours going nowhere we retired from that particular drifter, but Robin of Rochford managed to keep going in zero wind and finished well ahead of the the rest of the fleet. What a flyer that boat is!
On Thursday Jim allowed me to helm the race. I made a few embarrassing mistakes but we managed to come fourth and I think I was forgiven.
On Friday, after several days of light stuff the wind decided to pipe up and we had no owner on board any more. The three of us (JW, CliveG and myself) took Full Circle out to the start line and played around with various reefing combinations. Full Circle was not impressed with our amateurish efforts and showed her disgust by refusing to tack neatly. What with the pre-race jitters we had because we were now in sole charge of Full Circle and the fact that I felt I did not have her fully in control, we took a speedy and unanimous decision to retire from the race before the start.
We motored into the Roach and anchored up to watch the racing, then, once we had a nice clear bit of water, tried out other reefing combinations until Full Circle was back in the mood for racing.
By the final Saturday, JW, CliveG and myself were working like a well-oiled machine. Well, we were certainly well-lubricated. Left to our own devices on Full Circle, our efforts were more like a cruise round the cans than a race, but we enjoyed ourselves, didn't come last, and most importantly, returned Full Circle to her mooring still in one piece.
It was great to meet up with other forumites and I took a few photos at the start of the first day's racing. I will have a go at putting these up on the boat pix site when I am in the mood to battle with technology.
Before leaving Burnham, CliveG and I popped into the clubhouse for a drink and a look at the results. Full Circle had come fourth overall after the week's racing.
Great week. Thanks.
During the week we had an ever-changing assortment of crew. Full Circle and Mrs Full Circle were in attendance from Saturday to Thursday. They had recruited local guy JW to crew for the whole week and he became our top winchman and, as an added bonus, kept us entertained with a never-ending stock of salty yarns.
Mrs Morgana joined us for the first race, her initiation into racing as it turned out. The remaining Morgana family were shared out between Sirenia and Vreny. This turned out to be the first of many light airs races. Principal tactic of the week was to creep around in the shallows to keep out of the tide. Full Circle's 'secret weapon' of a lifting keel reducing the draft to little over a metre, came in very handy and must have confused the enemy. I soon learned Jim doesn't tack until he can count individual blades of grass on the bank ahead.
After the first day's racing we enjoyed a sociable gathering and excellent barbeque on the sea wall. The following day we were joined on board by Mr Morgana and a mini Morgana. Later in the week Dougie 3 Bottles and Sue lent a hand to the winches and Mrs Full Circle jumped ship to crew on Sirenia. CliveG and Centaur Pipedream also made valuable guest appearances on Full Circle during the week.
Dougie 3 Bottles took us up to Fambridge in Still Dunno. I'm told we reached thirty knots on the way there, but we took up a much gentler pace on the way back as it was dark, albeit moonlit, by then.
Weatherwise, we could probably have done with a little more wind, but the sun shined all week and we didn't have a drop of rain. I'd heard about kedging out during a race, but never actually experienced it before. After what seemed like hours going nowhere we retired from that particular drifter, but Robin of Rochford managed to keep going in zero wind and finished well ahead of the the rest of the fleet. What a flyer that boat is!
On Thursday Jim allowed me to helm the race. I made a few embarrassing mistakes but we managed to come fourth and I think I was forgiven.
On Friday, after several days of light stuff the wind decided to pipe up and we had no owner on board any more. The three of us (JW, CliveG and myself) took Full Circle out to the start line and played around with various reefing combinations. Full Circle was not impressed with our amateurish efforts and showed her disgust by refusing to tack neatly. What with the pre-race jitters we had because we were now in sole charge of Full Circle and the fact that I felt I did not have her fully in control, we took a speedy and unanimous decision to retire from the race before the start.
We motored into the Roach and anchored up to watch the racing, then, once we had a nice clear bit of water, tried out other reefing combinations until Full Circle was back in the mood for racing.
By the final Saturday, JW, CliveG and myself were working like a well-oiled machine. Well, we were certainly well-lubricated. Left to our own devices on Full Circle, our efforts were more like a cruise round the cans than a race, but we enjoyed ourselves, didn't come last, and most importantly, returned Full Circle to her mooring still in one piece.
It was great to meet up with other forumites and I took a few photos at the start of the first day's racing. I will have a go at putting these up on the boat pix site when I am in the mood to battle with technology.
Before leaving Burnham, CliveG and I popped into the clubhouse for a drink and a look at the results. Full Circle had come fourth overall after the week's racing.
Great week. Thanks.
